Events
Prairie Remnant in Wichita
Photo: Krista Dahlinger
KNPS Events Calendar listings accepted for native plant related events such as:
– Plant identification walks
– Educational events
– Work days
– Native plant sales
– Seed collection events
– In-person and online presentations
Click here to provide information about your event to be listed.
Events Calendar:
Salina - 2023 Annual Wildflower Weekend
Join native plant enthusiasts as we explore native plant communities and places in the Smoky Hills region where rolling hills of tallgrass to mixed grass prairies meet floodplain forests and wetlands along the Soloman, Saline and Smoky Hill Rivers.
KNPS Members will receive a printed Itinerary in the mail. Registration is required by September 14th.
Link to Invitation and PDF of Weekend Itinerary and Online Registration
Date and time: September 22 – 24, 2023
Location: Salina and surrounding area
Cost: $20 for over 12 years
Contact: email@ksnps.org
Website: www.ksnps.org
Virtual - Fall Gardening for Pollinators - Creating a Resiliant Garden for All Seasons
Zoom Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/…/reg…/WN_pS111mHzQoqNm1aLPwSArA
Manhattan - Introduction to Tree Identification
Sponsor: Kansas Forest Service
Date and time: September 25 – 4:30-6:30pm
Location: UFM Community Learning Center, 1221 Thurston, Manhattan
The Kansas Forest Service Demonstration Arboretum and Honor Grove will be the site for this interactive tree identification class. Participants will be introduced to the basics of tree identification, including leaf shape and arrangements and other characteristics used to identify trees. Those attending should prepare to be outside and walking most of the class. In case of inclement weather, the class will be held inside the Kansas Forest Service State Office. Enrollment deadline 09/24.
Cost: $15 per person
Littleton, MO - Society of Wetland Scientists - Central Chapter Meeting
Sponsor: Society of Wetland Scientists
Date and time: September 27 – 9am-4pm / September 28 from 8am – 4pm
Location: Jerry Litton Visitor Center – Smithville, MO
Cost: $100
SCHEDULE
September 27 from 9:00am-4:00pm (Sign-in from 08:30-09:00)
Day 1 of this meeting will feature presentations by industry professionals and academics on a range of wetland-related topics. Our speaker list currently includes:
Brody Garner (USACE)
Jodie Murray Burns, PWS (Cattail Environmental, LLC)
Darren Mitchell, PWS (Farnsworth Group)
Riley Norman, CPESC (Farnsworth Group)
Vona Kuczynska (USFWS)
Shane Staten, SPWS (Swallowtail)
Chris Daniel (MO Department of Conservation)
Dr. JeJung Lee (UMKC)
September 28 from 8:00am-4:00pm
Day 2 will include a full-day workshop led by the Institute of Botanical Training. This workshop can be used to partially fulfill the criteria of the Society of Wetland Scientist’s Professional Wetland Scientist certification.
Wetland Flora Workshop
Given the issues surrounding wetlands today, it is vital for land managers, conservationists and consultants to possess an intimate knowledge of wetland flora. Through this course, participants will learn to quickly identify the majority of wetland species as well as those species of wetland/upland interfaces. Special attention is given to notoriously difficult groups such as sedges, grasses and composites. This class begins with an introduction to botanical terminology and a discussion of major plant families. The remainder of the course is conducted in the field and is based largely on vegetative characters. In order to ensure that students assimilate the material, instructors utilize various exercises and activities that allow students to use, review and thus fortify the plant names and characters as they learn them. This course includes discussion of Floristic Quality Assessment, Wetland Indicator Status, invasive species and various topics relating to the plant ecology of wetlands. This course can be used to partially fulfill the criteria of the Society of Wetland Scientist’s Professional Wetland Scientist certification.
Location: Jerry Litton Visitor Center – 16311 DD Hwy, Smithville, MO 64089
Map Link:
Contact: Darren Mitchell at dmitchell@F-W.com
Link for more information: https://
Kansas City, MO - Blue River Discovery Days Festival
Sponsor: Heartland Conservation Alliance
THE ULTIMATE BLUE RIVER EXTRAVAGANZA IS HERE!
ATTN all nature nerds, outdoor enthusiasts and conservation champions – a new level of supporting the Blue River is now 
unlocked . Whaaaaat?! We’re talking about Blue River Discovery Days! Join us on a quest to explore the watershed and engage in a bit of friendly competition to see what individual or team can raise the most funds in support of our Blue River Nature Guide programming. All of our Nature Guide’s activities are completely free for the community and we want to keep it that way!Cost: Free
Heartland Conservation Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring natural areas in the Kansas City region. One of its major efforts is focused on the Blue River, which runs through the heart of the city. Heartland Conservation Alliance works to bring people back to the river through education, outreach, and advocacy.
Join us through the month of September for Blue River Discovery Days, a quest to explore the watershed and engage in a bit of friendly competition to see which individual or team can raise the most funds in support of our Blue River Nature Guide programming. All of our Nature Guide’s activities are free for the community and we want to keep it that way! Join us!
- 🗓️ WHEN: Fundraise and donate from September 1st – September 30th, 2023
- 💰GOAL: $25,000 in 30 days
Manhattan - From Seed to Saw - Open House
Sponsor: Kansas State University
Location: 2610 Claflin Rd. Manhattan
Identifying & Selecting Trees 9:00 AM
Tour our arboretum and learn about the best trees to plant for Kansas landscapes.
Tree Maintenance 10:00 AM
Learn about the tools and techniques for keeping trees healthy as they grow.
Historic State Office Tour 10:00 AM
Learn about the native trees that comprise the walls of the state office, along with the history of the building and the work that happens there today!
Hazard Tree Removal 11:00 AM
Trees can become dangerous in their decline. Learn about how to see the warning signs and watch a hazard tree be taken down.
Historic State Office Tour 11:00 AM
Learn about the native trees that comprise the walls of the state office, along with the history of the building and the work that happens there today!
Sawmill Demonstration 12:00 PM
Watch the process of milling trees with a live demonstration!
Cost: Free
Lawrence - Local Authors & Artists Outside: Ian Cook
Co-sponsored by Lawrence Public Library and Kansas Native Plant Society.
Date and time: October 8, 2023 – 2:00-3:30pm
Location: Riverfront Park, 1594 North 3rd Street, Lawrence
Join local author & artist Ian Cook as he shares connections of his work to outside spaces—enhancing our connections to nature, sense of place, and community. Ian will speak for approximately 20-minutes and we’ll enjoy a hike! Wear sturdy shoes and weather appropriate attire; planned route is accessible, some walking, and uneven surfaces are possible. If there is inclement weather, we will reschedule.
• Ian will lead a walk from the Riverfront Park onto the Levee, east to the I-70 bridge underpass, and view the vivid graffiti that resonates with him and has become part of a creative journey of self-discovery. He’ll talk about his creative processes, mental health practices, and recent work in the psychedelic-assisted therapy space, then return to the park for a writing session where folks can read/express afterward. Ian will bring writing prompts.
• Consider bringing a personal journal, writing utensil, drinking water, and a blanket or camp chair.
Find out more about poet, creative writing instructor, artist, musician, educator, and mental health advocate Ian Cook: https://linktr.ee/i.p.cook
Contact: Shirley Braunlich sbraunlich@lplks.org
Lawrence - Local Authors & Artists Outside: George Frazier (author) and Karen Matheis (artist)
Co-sponsored by Lawrence Public Library and Kansas Native Plant Society.
Date and time: November 4, 2023 10:00-11:30 AM
Location: Oread Hotel, 1200 Oread Ave., Lawrence
Join local author George Frazier & local artist Karen Matheis as they share connections of their work to outside spaces—enhancing our connections to nature, sense of place, and community. Each presenter will speak for approximately 20-minutes and we’ll enjoy a hike! Wear sturdy shoes and weather appropriate attire; planned route is accessible, some walking, and uneven surfaces are possible. If there is inclement weather, we will reschedule.
Expect a vigorous discussion and easy hike from the top of the Oread Hotel to the banks of the Kaw—the highest and lowest points in Lawrence. After an opening rooftop discussion with panoramic views of the Kaw Valley, the presenters will lead a landscape hike with stops in historic Lawrence neighborhoods and the Kaw River bank. We’ll look for remnants of the ravine that ran through Old West Lawrence, learn how to identify fish crows (Corvus ossifragus) and why they’re taking Kansas by storm, and visualize the lost prairie wilderness that once sprawled east of Downtown and what might become of that landscape in future decades.
About the Presenters:
• Karen Matheis’s paintings re-interpret ideas about traditional landscapes. Her work is inspired by the flat, open spaces of the K10 corridor. https://bluegalleryonline.com/
• George Frazier is the author of The Last Wild Places of Kansas: Journeys into Hidden Landscapes (University Press of Kansas). https://kansaspress.ku.edu/
Additional Details:
• Meet on the Oread Hotel rooftop, walk to the banks of the Kaw River.
• We recommend carpooling or arranging a ride back to your car from Constant Park, 230 W 6th St.
• Street parking is available in the neighborhood around the Oread Hotel, 1200 Oread Ave.
Contact: Shirley Braunlich sbraunlich@lplks.org
Manhattan - Seed Swap
Sponsors: Manhattan Seed Swap and Flint Hills Discovery Center
Date and time: Sunday February 18, 2024
Location: Flint Hills Discovery Center
Join us for the first Manhattan Seed Swap event. Start saving seeds from your garden this summer and fall to bring and exchange with others in time for the 2024 spring planting season. Cost: Free
Link to Manhattan Seed Swap Facebook page
